As known, pressurized civil aircraft are equipped with special systems aiming at reducing pressure peaks which are generated in the event of a rapid decompression which may weaken the fuselage structure. Such systems include blow-out panels that open at a certain value of differential pressure. The qualification and/or certification of the system is done through testing.
In the field of aeronautics, the blow-out panels are applied on decompression apertures in bulkheads separating two different environments. Should an excessive and potentially harmful pressure difference occur on the opposite sides of the bulkhead, for example, because of a gash in the fuselage, the blow-out panels are opened. This allows for a load compensation due to the pressure difference and prevent the entire bulkhead in which the panel is mounted from collapsing. On some aircrafts, blow-out panels are mounted on the floor, separating the Cargo Compartment Area and the EE-Bay Area. By tearing open, they prevent the floor from collapsing in the event of rapid decompression in one of the two environments. In other applications blow-out panels are mounted on the door that divides the cockpit from the cargo area, or on the bulkhead that separates the upper deck from the main deck.
Heretofore, tests on blow-out panels were mainly carried out with rather complex and expensive equipment. Such equipment typically makes use of a test cylinder of large size, about 5-6 m long with a diameter of about 60 cm, inside of which a vacuum is created by means of a vacuum machine. The panel to be tested is mounted adjacent to one of the end walls of the cylinder. The differential between the atmospheric pressure of the external environment and the vacuum in the cylinder causes the panel to break. The performance of the panel during its opening is studied by analyzing frames taken with a high speed digital camera.